Naira the Second
by ChevalierAirumel
Summary: Darkness was sealed away by Wan, the first avatar, but the seal wasn't complete. The four nations are at war with each other and themselves. Chaos threatens to take over the world and again the world is in need of a hero. Who will step up to the task of bringing balance? Rated T just because things might get violent. Language is clean.
1. A Beginning

_Hey everyone, this is Airumel's work... inspired by the Avatar series, most notably the Wan episodes, hence why this is in "Legend of Korra" fics. This is just something that I made up as I went along. Let me know what you think, if you want more or not. (To my readers of Bleached, Chev is putting her life back together after some turbulence) All characters are mine aside from the Light and Dark spirits and most were named on the spot. This chapter is mostly the intro; I got really wrapped up in the characters... Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

**A beginning **

Bare branches shuddered in the harsh breeze, dropping clumps of snow from above. A small camp of humans had made shelter in a small stand of trees. Most huddled in blankets around a small fire that sputtered in the wind. The seasons had seemingly skipped autumn and rushed straight into winter after lulling the travelers into a false sense of security with warm temperatures and sunny skies since their journey began.

Following the departure of the turtle lions, humanity had been forced to rebuild their cities. Yet, with the sudden disappearance of the spirit creatures, a golden opportunity had presented itself.

Or what had appeared to be one.

Masses of people from each of the four turtles set out into their formerly unknown world, but it wasn't long before the seemingly endless world became too small. Fights broke out between neighbors, friends, even families as greed overcame so many. Each man wanted to be his own king, and those with the power of the elements usually found it. Wars broke out and disease and famine followed.

But not all was in chaos. Rulers overlooked the lands to the far North and South of the world after learning of their unfavorable weather conditions. For those who wished to escape the devastation left in the warlords' wake.

This was the case for the rag-tag assortment of people huddling in their shelter. Thier hopes of a good life rested in the cold reaches of the North. Already a group similar to theirs had traveled ahead to create a village hopefully out of reach of all man-made strife.

Around the fire three men looked over a crudely drawn map on the skin of a rabbit-gopher.

"Yannik's instructions were to follow the dragon's tail" A tall man hunched over the group, pointing at the curving line representing the nearby river. Dark brown hair fell about his shoulders from a receding hairline.

His companion chuckled sarcastically. "Quim, I know you're excited about having a map, but with all the rivers out here, how can we say for sure this one is the right one? Besides, Yannik is the one who named them all." Eberhard was Quim's junior in years, though he didn't look it. He was a burly man with a large frame and deep voice. "I knew the man personally. We met a few years back when he traveled through my village and labeled it as 'Northwood'. Did that without even consulting the locals." He sighed and raised a large hand to his head. "Waterbenders, think they can change everything just as easy as they can freeze your morning tea."

Quim sighed. His companion had a point. Having never met this 'Yannik', he was completely at the mercy of the map he held.

The third man chuckled. He was quickly greying, having lived many years and seen many of the horrors brought on with the collapse of the lion-turtle cities. "Take it easy on him, Eberhard. Quim's got his family to think about here."

Glancing over the fire for a quick moment, Quim checked on his family. His wife, Sacha, caught his glance and smiled back at him, the fire's reflection bright in her grey eyes. Three young children snuggled up around her like little turtle ducks. The two had met fleeing from their home villages; he from the Earth territory and she from the Wind. It had been a strange start to a relationship; not having anywhere to go home to or any relatives to introduced, but they were happy. Fortune had smiled upon them and blessed them with three children thus far. The oldest was reaching his fifth year while the twins had just made it to their second. Sacha's belly was full and round with their fourth, whom they were expecting soon.

"Earth to Quim!" Eberhard's large gloved hand swung in front of the proud father's vision.

"Uhh... sorry... I was just thinking about how much further we need to go and with Sacha's condition..." his voice trailed off again. Despite this being his fourth child, he was every bit as excited as he had been for all of his sons' births.

Eberhard shook his head, "What are we going to do with him, Rade?"

"Nothing, except maybe take the map from him so we can figure out where we're going before this love-stricken lump lets us freeze to death." He jabbed Quim in the ribs playfully. "Eh, sonny?"

Quim snapped his attention back to the map in his hands. "Looks like there's a lake we'll have to cross up here." He squinted at the map in the flickering light.

"How exactly are a group of non-benders supposed to achieve that?" complained the larger man.

Rade cleared his throat and arched an eyebrow.

"Last I checked you weren't a waterbender, old man."

The elderly man gave a sigh as deep as his many years.

"What?"

"By all means, it doesn't take waterbending to do something as simple as that! Don't tell me you've forgotten how to build a boat."

* * *

Off in the distance a lone coyote-owl sat over its freshly caught prey. Hungrily, it sniffed the odd shape. The smell was unfamiliar to the predator and no blood issued from where her claws had punctured the dark shape. Was it even food?

A rumble from its stomach was all the convincing she took to take the first bite. As fangs closed around the dark object, it vanished.

Pain stuck from every place inside of the coyote-owl's body. Surprised, she yelped in pain and took off running.

Suddenly, the pain stopped. Chest heaving, the coyote-owl stopped and stood rooted to the she had not heard before caused her ears to raise. A scent of fire filled her nose. Yet it wasn't just fire she smelled, something else was there, something more delicious than a grouse-frog. Normally she fled when humans crossed her barren territory, but today she now sensed them as something . The thought of a full stomach caused her to salivate.

Drool slowly dripping from her snout, the coyote-owl let out a howl before opening her snow-white wings and began the hunt.

Further off still, a dark presence watched with amusement. "You can run, but you'll never hide, Raava..."

* * *

By the time it was Quim's turn for watch, the fire had succumbed to the prevailing wind. Shuddering, the expecting father tucked his blanket around his family before tapping the current guard on the shoulder.

Tonight it was Rade's teenaged granddaughter, Rubina, who had drawn midnight's stand. She leaned on the hoe that served as one of the group's few weapons, a sleepy expression on her face. A smile crossed her face in the darkness as she passed the hoe to Quim before she made her way to the fire pit to get some shut-eye.

Before starting his watch, Quim counted the dark shapes sleeping on the ground. Seventeen. Everyone accounted for. Looking up at the cloudy skies he thanked the stars for their safe travels and asked for their guidance. A more superstitious man would have waited for a clear sky, but so far the journey had been easy once they had made it outside of all the territories. Tonight, Quim's prayers would fall on deaf ears.

* * *

The coyote-owl moved without a sound thanks to her streamline body covered with feathers muffling any noise her landing would have made. Humans were foolish creatures, why hadn't she seen it before? They slept peacefully with one guard watching the distant South with his back to her. Even turkey-lizards had more common sense.

Carefully she padded forward, saliva dripping on the cold ground. Steam issued from her breath as the coyote-owl calculated who her target would be. The elderly couple on the edge? The young child who slept just a little further out than he should have?

A sharp breeze blew through the camp. The man on guard shuddered.

Crouching down, the predator waited until he was sure he wasn't about to turn around. Before she rose again, the scent that had originally put her on the hunt filled her nostrils. Her eyes locked onto its source: a woman, large with child.

Memories that were not the coyote-owl's own played through her mind. This very scene had happened multiple times before, each in a different location and each from the eyes of a different predator. Suddenly, the hunt became more personal than just a matter of food.

* * *

Quim stifled a yawn. He knew he should take his guard duty a little more seriously, but he just couldn't keep his thoughts on the matter tonight. Instead, names for his next son, or maybe a daughter drifted through his sluggish mind. Another rush of arctic wind tried to knock him off his feet. Keeping his back to the wind worked well enough, but after remaining motionless for even a short time invited cold into his body. His thoughts still on his family he turned to look.

Something white glinted in the corner of his vision. Startled, Quim let out a shout.

Mass confusion broke out as the encampment was suddenly awoken by the guard's shout.

* * *

Frustration and a frantic desire took over the coyote-owl. The element of surprise lost, she had to take advantage of the temporary commotion before the humans organized. With an involuntary snarl, the predator leapt for the pregnant woman, jaws open.

Her target stumbled backwards, shoving the young ones away from her body. Instead of the neck, the coyote-owl's teeth sunk into the woman's outstretched arm. Predator and prey locked eyes. Fear was written all over the woman's face and something else glittered on a deeper level. When the woman screamed, the coyote-owl's released her jaws and leapt backwards preparing for the lunge that would bring the final blow.

Springing forward on her short hind legs with all her might, the coyote-owl surged forward.

She never made it to her target.

A sharp pain in her side erupted and all her sense went black.

* * *

Quim stood breathing hard, hoe in his outstretched arms. That had been too close. Flinging down the hoe, he knelt down to his wife's side. Blood streamed from the puncture marks in her arms. "Sacha! Are you okay?"

Tears were streaming down her face and she nodded meekly. "It was after me..." she squeaked, "I saw its eyes... it was... it was horrible!" she burst into tears and clung to her husband with her good arm.

Three distraught children joined in, adding their tears to their mother's. The twins were too young to comprehend what had happened, but they were startled by their mother's distress.

"It's okay. I got it pretty good. You're safe." As Quim softly murmured reassurance to his distraught family the rest of the camp huddled around. There was no healer in their group, but a few of the older women had brought some slaves with them and quickly attended to Sacha's wounds.

Nearby, Rubina picked up the discarded hoe and examined the still body of the coyote-owl. Curiously, she nudged it with the metal end.

The coyote-owl's white form shuddered.

"Grandpa!" the teenaged girl yelled.

"I'm right here, Rubina. No need to shout, I'm not that old yet." He moved in almost as much silence as the predator had. "What's wrong."

She nudged the body again, "This."

Despite having taken a good blow to the stomach, the coyote-wolf was still breathing. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, each breath seemed to be quite labored.

"I think it's dying."

"Probably internal bleeding."

The two watched in silence, but nothing could have prepared them for what happened next. A shallow cough came from the animal's form as it began to shudder and shake. Rubina tightened her grip on the hoe, readying for an attack. Yet the coyote-owl remained on the ground and began to gag and retch.

"I-is it a h-hairball?" The girl's hands shook. She had never seen an animal act like this even having grown up on a farm.

Before anyone could provide answer, a dark shadow emerged from the open jaws of the wounded animal. The shadow glowed purple then red in light pulses, before it was extinguished by a well aimed strike with a hoe. the shadow evaporated with a hiss.

"D-did you see that?!" Rubina turned a panicked gaze to her grandfather.

"Yes, my dear... I did..."

The coyote-owl let out a mournful howl before going still again.

A dark expression crossed Rade's wrinkled face. "Rubina, do you know what that was?" He asked his granddaughter.

She shook her head.

"I fear that was a spirit. A dark one at that." He waited for Rubina to respond, but she stood in a shocked silence. "Come. We must let Quim know what attacked his wife."

* * *

-Three days later-

A weary group arrived at the shore of a large lake. Footsore and sleep deprived, the welcoming sight of another camp and docked boats renewed their strength. Ever since the attack of the coyote-owl, few had slept. Sacha was not faring well, an infection had set in the wound and was slowly growing worse. Quim helped her along, one arm slung over his shoulders as their children were ushered around by Eberhard.

The men camped at the shore turned out to be Yannick's friends. They were surprised to see the group as they had been expecting their arrival for well over a week. After recounting their tale of the journey, the travelers loaded into the boats and for the first time in days, felt a sense of relief as the boats took off from the shore.

Even with a trained waterbender driving each boat, the voyage took the better part of the day. As the sun began to fade on the distant horizon to their left, the far shore came into sight. "Welcome home," said one of the benders to Quim's twins who had been crying for most of the way, scared they would never see land again.

"Home?" one asked.

"Home!" the other cheered.

"We're almost there," Quim whispered to Sacha and kissed her forehead lightly. She didn't respond and stared blankly up at the darkening sky.

* * *

A collection of lanterns jumbled along the village entrance as the whole village turned out to welcome the group they had given up for dead. Most were in their nightgowns and shivering in the cold night air. Snow was falling softly, but no one seemed to be bothered.

"Eberhard! You dare show your face after being this late?!" A voice shouted from within the small crowd.

"Yannick! Is that any way to greet your old pal?" The burly man shouted back.

A shorter man with a shaggy mane of brown hair emerged from the crowd. "Well, I suppose late is still better than never." He clasped the large man in a brisk hug before turned to address the rest of the group. "Welcome, everyone! To the village of North Shore! We have laid out places for you all to stay in our meeting hall for the time being." He swept his arm in an arc at the large wooden building at the center of town.

"Many thanks," Eberhard bowed to his friend, "But we have to ask for your healers. My friend's wife was attacked under some odd circumstances..."

Yannick's eyebrows rose as he looked at Sacha. "I'll see what we can do, but first, lets bring her inside."

Sacha's grey eyes looked into Yannick's blue, a pained expression crossed her face and she winced. "The baby..." she muttered.

Suddenly Yannick laughed, "Oh dear, it seems there's to be a new addition to our village already!"

The worried look on Quim's face increased.

"Oh don't look so grim! She'll be fine. I'm not just a cartographer after all. I'm a healer too!"

* * *

Sacha was quickly brought inside the nearest home and laid on the resident's bed. The homeowners stepped aside willingly once they learned of the situation at hand.

"Now, let's see about that arm." Yannick sat on a chair next to the bed while Quim looked on. Rubina had taken the children to explore the village and to get some food. Eberhard was helping the other travelers set up in the town hall. The only other member of the group in the room was Rade, who stood by Quim for emotional support. Neither were sure Sacha would survive.

The healer placed Sacha's infected arm on his lab and began to work with water he had just boiled. Slowly, he drew the infection from the wound.

Quim and Rade held their breath as they watched. Neither had seen a waterbender healer in action before. The only infections they had seen prior had resulted in death. "It's a miracle," muttered Quim.

"There! That should do it!" Yannick smiled.

Quim began to return his smile when Sacha cried out.

"I'd better find the midwife, excuse me." The waterbender left hastily.

Rade and Quim exchanged glances, "She'll be fine. This is her fourth one." The elderly man tried to calm his younger companion.

A very elderly woman rushed into the room on creaking old bones. Wordlessly she went about her business and shooed the men outside. "It's bad luck if men are in the birthing area!" she shouted to them.

Outside, snow fell with increasing intensity. "Wonder if it's a storm," mused Rade.

Quim was silent. Something was different this time around, but then again, maybe he was just imagining it. Sacha was going to be fine. His child would be born soon.

"Quim?" Rade asked.

"Huh?"

"What names do you have picked out?"

"Oh, uh, well... I was thinking on it..."

Just then a strong blast of cold wind blew through town, extinguishing all the candles and lanterns on the street for a brief moment.

"An omen," whispered one of the homeowners, who was waiting outside as well.

From within the house came the cry of a baby.

"Go!" Rade pushed Quim lightly.

The father ran into the house and slowed when he reached the bed. There was his wife cradling a swaddled newborn. For the first time since the attack, she smiled at him. "It's a girl." She held the bundle for him to take. "I know you have a name all picked out, like always."

Quim took his daughter into his arms and smiled. She opened her eyes and blinked at him.

He gasped.

Deep purple eyes stared up at him. What could that mean?

"Well?"

"She's gorgeous. How about..." he thought for a moment, the name he had originally picked out seemed inadequate. "How about Naira?"

"Naira? Sounds wonderful."

And for sometime all was right in the lonely Northern village, but soon the wars would make their way to remote shores and beyond.

* * *

_Well, want more? Just ask! I might just write this for my own amusement, but it definitely helps to have interested readers, even just a few. :) _

_~Airumel 10/21/13_


	2. Unexpected Guests

_Welcome to chapter two everyone! Glad to see you back! I had hoped to work more on this, but life got unexpectedly busy as I picked up a job grading papers. I've also had some inspiration problems too. Anyways, this chapter is more character development and plot set up. Usually, my introductions don't take so long, but I was told I needed to work more on character development before jumping into things. Please let me know what you think! -Airumel 11/03/13_

* * *

**Unexpected Guests**

"Naira! Your hair is a mess." Sacha called to her daughter as she tried to sneak out the door. "Come here,You can't go to your brothers' wedding looking like you were in a windstorm.

A teen-aged girl with deep violet eyes sighed and shuffled over to her mother. Her long light brown hair was a tangled mess. Wordlessly she plopped herself on a wooden stool.

Sacha smiled softly as she began to comb her youngest child's hair. It was hard to believe how fast she had grown up. Sixteen years had passed since the band of refugees had arrived in North Shore. Quim had built them a small house within the village's wall with the money he earned fishing and hunting with Yannick's survey group. Sacha had her hands full raising the four children.

"You should be happy, Naira, your brothers are both getting married today!" Sacha babbled trying to get some reaction from her daughter. Naira had always been a quiet girl, but with three loud and lively brothers, that was to be expected. Yet, her only girl just seemed different from them in some way that Sacha couldn't put her finger on. Perhaps it was related to her strange purple eyes. After Naira was born, she and Quim had tried for more children and been successful in part. Every child had been born alive, but within a few hours each had slipped out of life as silently as they entered. Each born with the same purple eyes. Her heart could no longer take the heartbreak after the fourth died in her arms. She told herself she was just getting older and Quim had done his best to comfort her.

Naira looked up at her mother as she stopped combing her hair. "Mom?"

"Oh, sorry... I was thinking about things." She shook away the sad thoughts, why should she be unhappy when she had four healthy children? That was lucky enough after all.

"Mom?" Naira repeated herself.

"Yes, dear?"

"Can I go sail-turtle skiing later? After the wedding?"

Sacha chuckled, her daughter was just like her sons in some aspects. The girl was just as full of energy, despite her silence and she never could stay in one spot too long. "You remind me a lot of your grandfather, you know?"

"Yeah, you tell me that a lot. But he never left his village."

"No, dear, he didn't." Sacha never told her children or her husband of what had happened the day she had left her village. It was too painful to recall.

"Well, I'm going to someday! And you can come too!"

Sacha smiled. It was one of the few moments her daughter actually seemed just as vibrant as her brothers. "All right, where are we going?"

"Uh... not too far... just to the other side of the lake!"

Sacha put down the comb and began to braid her daughter's hair. "That's not very exciting, what happened to going further than Yannick's survey team?"

Naira fidgeted, "I don't want to go alone..." she admitted.

"That's wise of you, Naira. But being alone can also be the only way to go. Sometimes we have to take big steps by ourselves."

"Like when you left your village?"

"Yes. And that's how I met your father." Sacha pinned her daughter's braid into a bun. "There. All done."

Naira made a face. "My head hurts." She groaned.

The greying woman pinched Naira's check until she dropped the scowl. "Well, you look pretty, just not with that face. Try smiling."

* * *

The wedding was taking place inside the meeting hall. The usual vendor stalls that usually filled the inside had been stacked off to the sides for the day. In a village with a population around 50, any occasion to celebrate usually involved the whole town anyways. Everyone had brought chairs from home so everyone had a seat.

Naira's brothers, Iago and Iain, had agreed to have their weddings on the same day. Both were marrying their childhood friends, Leyla and Wren. When they had arrived in the village a decade and a half past, there had only been a few other children in the town. They stood beaming at their brides.

As she had feared, the ceremony was long and boring, just as her older brother's had been a few years ago. Halfway through, she was starting to drift off.

"_Naira..._" a voice called urgently.

With a jerking movement, she sat up to attention and looked around. Who had called her? Her mother and father sat to one side of her holding hands. Naira rolled her eyes and looked to the other side. Old man Rade sat with his granddaughter and her family; a great-grandson slept in Rubina's arms. Glancing over her shoulder, her eldest brother, Quinton, made a face at her while his wife tried to ignore the two.

She shook her head lightly and decided it wasn't important. The weight of the pins and braid her making her neck hurt. How much longer was this going to take? She really wanted to go sail-turtle skiing. Today was such a nice day and the lake had looked so calm this morning.

Her brothers were now exchanging their vows. Even despite her discomfort, Naira couldn't help smiling and joined in the applause as the couples kissed. Growing up as the only girl with three brothers hadn't been easy, but despite all the fights and tussles the siblings had gotten into, they had remained close.

* * *

The sun was sinking behind the hilly terrain by the time the ceremony was over. Outside the meeting hall, a jumble of tables had been set up around a large fire pit to accommodate the party. Naira followed the procession outside; trailing behind her parents and helping Rade navigate the uneven ground.

The old man was like a grandfather to Naira and her brothers. When their parents left them at his house, Naira would always want to hear stories of his hometown in the Fire Territory while her brothers could be found pestering Rubina for cookies. She would listen, silent and wide-eyed as the elderly man recalled the golden days of his youth. But that had been many years ago.

Tonight, as he leaned on her for support his breathing was heavy and labored. "Well, my young cricket-toad, when shall we be having your wedding?"

If the comment had been from anyone else, Naira might have been annoyed, but the old man was always teasing her about such things. Instead, she chuckled at Rade's jest. He knew just as well as she did that her chances of marriage were slim in the village; aside from her own brothers, there was a twelve year gap between her and the next unmarried boy. But at sixteen, thoughts of marriage were at the back of her mind.

"_Naira..."_ someone spoke her name again. A deep sensation tugged at the back of her mind. For a moment she wanted nothing more but to plunge into it.

"Naira?" Rade's voice pulled her back to the present. "Is everything okay?"

"Uh, yeah... I think so..." Naira put her free hand to her head, "I think these pins are tearing my brain out with my hair." She tugged gently at part of her braid, trying to loosen it without pulling it out.

"Good! Then would you mind grabbing me some food while I take a quick rest here?" He seated himself slowly on a bench near the fire.

Naira nodded and rushed off to fulfil his request and fill her empty stomach. Her mouth watered as she waited in line for some of the village's special sturgeon-boar stew. The delicious odor of the creamy broth almost made her forget to ask for a second bowl.

Before she could return, Quinten, her eldest brother bumped into her. "You're not eating that all by yourself!" He teased as she struggled to save the bowls and regain her balance.

"No, I have Rade's as well." She glared at him over her shoulder.

Her brother quickly looked away. "So, I hear you want to join the survey group."

The averted disaster quickly forgotten, Naira looked at her brother with a hopeful expression. Quinton, like her father, had a job assisting the small group of waterbenders with the fishing and hunting done for the village.

"Don't get excited, you know the survey team doesn't take women." He patted her on the shoulder, sensing he'd hit a nerve. "Tell you what, I'll take you out sailfish-turtle skiing tomorrow." Quinton knew his sister's favorite thing was to ride the family sailfish-turtle around the lake.

Crestfallen and brimming with anger, Naira nodded silently. She knew her brother hadn't meant his comment to be as much of a jab as it had come out to be. "Sure..." she muttered and walked away slowly. Returning to the table, she ate her stew in silence, doing her best not to draw attention to herself.

Rade said nothing; he had often seen the children fight and knew it would be over in a day or two. After trading a glance with Quim and Sacha, he turned his attention to his great-grandson being spoon-fed by Rubina.

As soon as Naira was finished, she excused herself from the festivities and rushed home. Climbing up on large overturned pots, she climbed onto the thatch roof of her home. Sure she was by herself, she sat quietly, gazing at the stars above. So what, she was a girl? She was a better swimmer than her brothers and a faster runner. She might not have the muscle mass or big frame, but she could still help. A sigh escaped her lips. Another year of chores around the village. Fixing roofs, patching walls, and the like. An aimless, flat, and boring existence. Her soul thirsted for something more. If she wasn't so scared, maybe she could get out and find her own calling. But the thought of facing the unknown by herself was more than she could bear.

"_It's okay, young one." _

"Naira!" a voice interrupted her thoughts. "Are you up on the roof?"

Heart pounding, Naira took a few moments before calling back to her father. She was starting to think she was going crazy.

"Why don't you come down? Let's go for a walk." Quim called up to his daughter. He knew the hiding spots for all of his children quite well.

With all the grace of a cat-viper, Naira jumped down from the roof landing softly on the ground.

"I wish you wouldn't do that." Quim admonished his daughter. "Someday you're going to fall and break your neck."

"Yeah, well... sorry."

Quim sighed. Teenagers. He wondered if his parents had ever felt this exasperated with him. All of his children seemed to have inherited his reckless and lack of regard for personal safety. "How about we go to the lake?"

* * *

As they passed through the town gates, Quim took a lantern from the sentry post. It cast a small circle of soft light, just enough for the father and daughter to see the ground in front as they walked.

"Summer is sure coming fast." Quim commented on the weather, it was two days until the solstice.

Naira nodded half-hearted agreement.

"Too bad the moon isn't out tonight."

Still no words left his daughter's mouth.

Not giving up, Quim tried another route. "The sky is so pretty this far North. Back where I grew up, nights just didn't seem this full of stars."

Watching her feet, Naira finally muttered a response to her father's ramblings. "At least you got to see a different sky..."

"Your brother told you no, didn't he?"

In the faint lantern's glow, Naira nodded glumly.

"I suspected as much." Quim sighed and put an arm around his daughter pulling her in close for a moment. "Unfortunately, he is right. Yannick made the rules up long before we got here and I don't think he'd make an exception for anyone."

Sensing his comment had only made Naira even more miserable, he continued. "You remind me a lot of how I was at your age."

Another sigh came from Naira.

"What?"

"You always say that... but I'll never leave this village..."

Quim saw tears glittering on his daughter's cheeks. "Naira..."

She raised her voice and continued, "I just want my life to matter, to mean something!" Her words hung in the air over the calm lapping of the lake's waters. Roughly, she brushed her father's arm from her shoulders and took off running.

Behind her, Naira heard her fall call after her, but she did not care. Sturdy legs carried her swiftly along the shore, leaving everything behind. Faster and faster she ran until her breathing became the only thing on her mind.

She continued to run until it her legs burned with the effort and her lungs ached with each breath. Slowing down, Naira trudged to a stop and sank to her knees before lying down on back. Above her, the stars glowed brightly, so far out of her reach. Each one looked perfect, as far as stars went, just like her twin brothers. They would be starting perfect lives and have bright futures while she couldn't see much of a future.

"_Naira... help... ahead." _

Still panting, she rose to her feet and looked around. Clearly, all the stress was getting to her. With a shake of her head, she tried to clear her thoughts, but the corner of her mind seemed to be directing her attention to the forest just a few feet away. It was forbidden by Yannik that anyone enter the forest after dark. For reasons Naira could not explain, she found herself wandering in alone and unarmed.

Her father's voice echoed in her mind as she casually ventured further in. She had once asked him why she couldn't go in after he had stopped her and her brothers from chasing firefly-quail. "We don't go into the forest at night; it's when the spirit world and our own become closest. And.." He had always leaned in close to her face for dramatic effect, "They'll eat little girls like you!" The story had always ended with a hug and laughter, but as she had grown up, Naira had scoffed at the thought of spirits. If they existed, why hadn't she ever seen one?

A rustling noise came from somewhere close.

Naira froze; hair on the back of her neck rising. Maybe the men of the survey team had been right to forbid night explorations. Taking deep breaths, she tried to listen over the pounding of her heart in her ears.

Amid the chirping and croaking of the various nocturnal animals, only the distant lapping of waves on the rocky shore could be heard. Even further out was the sound of her father calling her name.

Relaxing, Naira began to turn around and head for the shore.

"_Help.."_ The voice silently urged and at the same moment a high pitched scream rang out over the night's noise.

Without so much as a thought of her own safety, Naira rushed towards the scream wondering who else was out here. Crashing through the shrubby understory, she burst into a clearing where three figures stood, waist-deep in a stand of cattails. The light of a single torch held by the tallest member cast a dancing light as it sputtered in the wind. "Moirrey, calm down. I'm sure it can't be an elbow leech. We're too far North for that". One of the figures moved with a slosh through the dark water. The group had their backs to Naira.

"Uh, h-hello?" Naira called nervously to the group of women. She wasn't entirely sure she was seeing people, after all, visitors to the village only showed up every few years and usually they came by boat.

"Eeeeep!" the shortest member shrieked when she saw Naira watching from the edge of the marsh. "A g-ghost!"

"No," the third member spoke with an ancient voice, "She's human, but there is more to her; I can sense it from here". Her words were barely audible to Naira.

"Excuse us!" shouted the torch-bearing woman, "Would you be able to tell us where the nearest village is? Or perhaps your traveling group?"

Frozen in thought about the older woman's words, Naira did not respond until the group was dripping on the ground in front of her. "Uh, yeah, it's back that way." She pointed the way she had come. "You guys aren't... spirits are you...?"

The three women looked at each other before bursting into laughter. Naira felt her face cheeks turning red. "Haha, oh, sorry to disappoint you dearie, but we're not spirits. Or at least not yet." The elderly one clucked.

"Naira!" Quim's voice called out.

"I'm guessing someone is looking for you? Not running away from home were you?" The tallest one observed.

"I... it's... I wasn't." Naira defended herself in a flustered manner.

"OVER HERE!" Yelled the shortest one. Now that the women were closer, their age differences were even more apparent. The oldest had a slightly hunched back and looked almost as old as Rade. Her gray hair was loosely held in a bun on top of her head.

Next in age was the torch-bearing woman. She was clearly older than Naira, but she wasn't quite sure by how much. Her best guess placed her in her thirties. She sported the same hairstyle as the older woman, but her hair still had its color. Strapped to her side was a hunting knife along with a few smaller utensils Naira did not recognize.

Finally, the short one was in the peak of her youth, Naira suspected the girl was around thirteen. Her black hair was pulled tightly into two long pony-tails that were dripping wet from her late night stroll in the marsh.

Heavy breathing and nearing footsteps announced Quim's arrival. A puzzled expression was on his face as he took in the sight of the three women and his daughter. "Who are you?" he asked sternly.

"We're traveling apothecarists, healers, herbalists, etc. I'm Felicia, this is my mother, Feige, and the young one is my apprentice, Moirrey." Felicia extended a hand to Quim. "I'm afraid we got lost a few weeks ago. Our map got ruined in a rainstorm and we've been trying to follow my mother's memory of the stars ever since."

The old woman coughed, "Sorry sweetie, my memory isn't what it used to be. Nor is my eyesight."

Quim took Felicia's hand and gave it a shake while consuming the information. "Naira, did you know these women were out here?"

His daughter shook her head no. She couldn't admit she had been hearing a voice that had lead her out here.

He looked back at Felicia. "I'm Quim, this is my daughter, Naira." Quim broke into an easy smile, "How about we save the rest of the introductions for when we get back to the village? My sons' wedding party should still be going, so there will be plenty of food."

* * *

Naira did not get to talk to the travelers that night. Upon their return to the village, Quim had sent her straight home as punishment for running into the forest. She did not protest, Naira had no desire to rejoin the party and confront her eldest brother again. Unfolding her thin mattress she soon fell asleep wondering about the evening's events.

* * *

_To be continued... eventually. I need animal ideas! Comment and you might see your crazy combo animal incorporated! I take requests for other story elements as well. Your feedback helps me! Thank you for reading. -Airumel_


	3. In the Dark

_I stayed home sick from work today... blah... on the bright side, another chapter for you! Things get exciting! The plot arrives! Well, part of it. Ready for some action? ~Airumel 11/06/13_

* * *

**In the Dark**

True to his word, Quentin found Naira around noon the following day. Still simmering over their dispute, it had taken a few sorrys and much persistence to convince his little sister he was truly sorry. In the end, she had taken him up on the offer after deciding it would beat scrubbing the floor of the meeting hall.

Soon the two were racing around the lake on the backs of sailfish-turtles. The bright sun glinted on the spray Naira and her turtle were kicking up as she sped as fast as she could, enjoying the roar of the wind in her ears. All her worries soon vanished and she found herself giggling as Quentin fell off his turtle on a sharp turn in front of her. Her brother surfaced and splashed water in her face as she pulled up to make sure he was okay.

"Gah! Hey! No waterbending!" She kicked some water back at him, knowing full well he wasn't a bender of any element. As children the four siblings would always play at being benders, hoping that someday they would discover they were. Their parents had chuckled when they found out what their children were playing at. Neither of them were benders nor were their parents before them. Sacha had been told her grandfather had been an airbender while Quin's great-grandmother had received the power of Earth from a lion turtle. Neither had known their bender relatives and were content to live their lives as non-benders. However, they knew their children lived in awe of Yannick and the few other waterbenders in the village.

"Same to you, cheater!"

"At least I can stay on my sailfish-turtle!" Naira stuck out her tongue.

Quentin clambered up his turtle, Naira took off again. Her brother soon caught up and passed her. Blowing a mock kiss, he waved in a taunting manner. "See ya!"

"Oh yeah?" Naira gripped the fin of her turtle and leaned forward to urge it forward. Faster they sped, steadily closing the distance between her and her brother.

"_Naira... hear...? Learn... order... Balance..."_ A sudden onslaught of dizziness overtook the girl's mind. The bright day faded out as the voice rang through her mind.

Unable to stay upright any longer, Naira felt the sailfish-turtle's fin slip from her waterlogged fingers and the hard shell slip from under her feet.

As she fell she watched her brother reach for her. His mouth was open, but no sound was audible. She felt nothing as she hit the water and darkness overcame her.

* * *

"_Listen to me, Naira."_

"W-who's there?"

"_It will not be easy, but you must do it. No one else can."_

* * *

Heavy pressure on her chest brought Naira sputtering back to life.

"Naira!" Her mother clutched her hand to her chest. "I thought we'd lost you!"

Blinking a few times, Naira sat up and took in her surroundings. Gone was the lake and its rocky shore. Instead, she was on the floor of her own home with a small crowd of people around her. How had she gotten here?

As if she had asked the question aloud, it was answered. "Your brother brought you back; you were lucky the two of you weren't too far from the village or you might not have made it." The old woman, Feige stood above her.

"Oh don't scare her mother, she's alive and that's what counts." Felicia said from the Naira's other side. "I've had plenty of experience removing water from lungs the hard way." She winked at Naira. Yet when their eyes met, hers widened.

Felicia's expression made Naira uncomfortable. "W-what?" She stammered shrinking away.

The older woman kept staring. "Those eyes..."

Fiege, intrigued by her daughter's expression, also gazed at Naira's face.

"Uh..." The uncomfortable feeling grew even more.

"I see... hmmm... that is interesting..." Fiege took Naira's head in a wrinkled palm. "Is that what I sensed about you?" The old woman mumbled to herself.

Sacha was just as uncomfortable as her daughter. "What do you mean?"

Withdrawing her hand, Fiege stepped back from Naira. "She's cursed."

"Cursed?" Sacha arched an eyebrow. She didn't believe in such things.

Naira, on the other hand, did. "Cursed?" She shivered, suddenly cold from her soggy clothing. Her mother draped a blanket around her shoulders.

"Yes," the old woman closed her eyes. "I have seen it many times before, but never in someone as old as your daughter. In our travels, we helped deliver several newborns with those same violet eyes, but none of them lived more than a day or so."

"Is that so?" Four lifeless infant children were summoned to Sacha's memory. Her expression grew distant.

Neither of the women pried into Sacha's silence.

Fiege continued. "They were all born quiet, but healthy, yet all passed on shortly thereafter. I wonder what makes you the exception?" She looked Naira in the eyes. "I feel there is much more to you than those eyes."

Naira was still hung up on the matter of her curse. "If I have a curse, what's going to happen to me?" Her mother tightened her grip on her shoulder.

"Beats me! My experience says you should have died already, but it seems you have an uncanny ability for survival as we've seen today." Fiege scratched her chin thoughtfully, suddenly an idea burst forth, "Are you a bender, dearie?"

Unable to fathom why the old woman would ask such a thing, Naira mutely shook her head.

"None of my children are benders; their closest bending relative was my grandfather." Sacha jumped on the new topic, in attempts to pull herself out of the past.

"Are you sure?" Fiege directed the question at Naira, staring directly into her purple eyes. "Your aura suggests otherwise. Perhaps this is why you survived. The other children I saw with those eyes were non-benders."

"B-but... how could I be a bender and not know?" Eyes wide with astonishment, Naira looked to her mother for an answer. Sacha shook her head.

Felicia added her thoughts to the conversation, "It's possible. You might just have never had the chance or need to use your powers. You only have seen waterbending, right?"

Naira nodded, "My brothers and I used to mimic them all the time. Wouldn't that have been enough if I were a bender?"

"All the elements have their own style, a waterbender does not move like an earthbender, nor does a firebender bend in the same manner as an airbender."

A blank stare was Felicia's response from the wet girl as she tried to piece this information together. "Then... I'd have to try the other styles? Can you show me?" Naira's eyes glittered with excitement.

"Well, don't get your hopes up on it, it's just a guess."

Fiege chuckled, "Give yourself some credit, Felicia. It's a sound hypothesis."

"Well, can you?" Naira asked again.

"I can try. First, I must let you know that I am not a bender myself."

This comment earned Felicia a jab in the side from her elderly mother, "Stop being so modest already. My girl here is a superb artist. She's been drawing the forms of different bending styles for some time now. Needless to say, she understands the basics to each element."

Felicia rolled her eyes, "Mother, drawing is one thing, the movements themselves are another entirely."

Sacha suddenly rose to her feet, "No one is doing any bending around here, real or not."

Naira saw that her mother was smiling.

"At least not until you put on some dry clothes!"

* * *

Quinton had been waiting outside, eager to hear about his sister. Moirrey, Felicia's assistant had waited with him. She had been doing her best to cheer up Naira's brother, but her childish ramblings weren't anywhere near enough to convince him to stop blaming himself. Quinton's wife had even come out to see what the commotion was.

When Naira emerged from the house, beaming, he ran to embrace her. "Naira, I am so sorry! I should have paid more attention!" She muttered something into his chest before he realized how hard he was hugging her. Instantly he released her and attempted to collect himself. After all, they were in public.

"I'm going to try some bending!" she bounced on the soles of her feet.

"What? Why?" Quinton was puzzled.

"It's a long story, but the old lady thinks I might be a bender!"

"Uh... okay?" Her brother hadn't seen Naira this excited since the first time she had beat him in sailfish-turtle racing. He tried to smile, but it wasn't convincing. His wife laughed and waved at the two of them before returning to her prior business. Quinton sighed as Naira grabbed his hand and drug him after the other women.

* * *

The group stopped on the stony shore of the beach.

Felicia rummaged through her bag until she found a few scrolls. Carefully she unrolled each one as if they were made of glass.

Fiege placed a bowl of water on the ground.

Briefly, Felicia made some mental notes before turning to Naira. "Let's start with water, just to rule that one out. Just follow my movements and try to connect with your inner mind. Waterbending acts a lot like the waves, coming in and going out." She began to sway with her whole body, arms moving as if she were pulling an invisible object. "Like that."

"Okay.." Naira suddenly felt very self-conscious with everyone watching her. At least her father wasn't here. He'd be teasing her all the way. Swallowing down her insecurities, she began to move in the manner Felicia had shown her.

"Try focusing on the water in the bowl." Suggested Quinton, recalling how Yannick reacted when he would waterbend.

Naira shut her eyes and tried to think about only the water. Something just didn't feel right about it. Lowering her arms, she stopped.

"No? Well, that's what we expected on that one." Felicia poured out the water from the dish and glanced again at her scrolls. "Maybe earthbending is more your pace." She stood up and took a deep stance. "Think solid, rock hard, deliberate movements." The tall woman's long hair swung behind her as she paced through a slow routine of stomps, jumps, and kicks.

Determined, Naira tried to follow the motions. She leapt into the air and tried to make her motions as sturdy as Felicia had demonstrated. Not even the smallest pebble moved aside from the ones she landed on directly. Disappointment was clear on her face as she stared at her feet.

"Not to worry, there are still two more elements." Felicia sensed the growing frustration and disappointment coming from the girl.

"Oh! Oh!" Quinton was enjoying this spectacle, "I wanna see you firebend Naira!" he teased, earning a glare.

"I was just about to suggest that one next." She pulled a candle from her satchel. "Mother, I leave this one to you."

The old woman's eyes twinkled, "I thought you'd never ask." A forceful flick of Feige's wrist produced a spark.

Sacha, Naira, and Quinton gasped in unison. None had ever seen a firebender before.

Fiege beamed, "I try to keep it a secret, I'm not very good. Lighting candles and torches is about all I've been able to do. I'm afraid I don't have the spirit for the movements. Fire consumes, it destroys. As such, the movements are very quick, definite, and powerful."

Naira nodded in understanding.

Blowing out the candle, Fiege stepped back. "Your turn, dearie."

Naira took a deep breath and attempted to mimic the movement Feige had used on the candle. She felt a surge of energy rush through her, but when she opened her eyes the candle remained unlit. Feeling slightly goofy, she tried once again.

"Well, you aren't a firebender either. I can relate." A friendly hand was placed on her shoulder. Naira looked up at Felicia. "Ready for the last one?"

Solemnly, Naira watched Felicia consult the scrolls one last time. "This one is a bit tricky, since I can't see the air's movement in response to the bender, I've had to guess a little on how this style works." She tucked the scrolls gently inside her satchel and rose to her feet. "Airbending motions are more free form and circular from what I've seen. Think weightless." Felicia's arms moved in wide sweeping motions as she moved along an invisible circular path.

Silently, Naira gave herself a quick pep talk. She could do this. Jaw clenched and eyes shut tight Naira let herself move. The sweeping, circling form felt less forced despite her initial concerns. Each step became more confident than the first. It all felt so right.

The spectators watched in silence. Moirrey had stopped constructing her rock castle a short distance away and was watching in awe. Felicia noted to herself how much better the younger girl was than herself. Feeling the excitement build in her daughter's movements, Sacha grabbed her firstborn's arm, he too watched intently. Yet, it was the old woman, Feige, who watched most intently, reading Naira's aura. A concerned look adorned her face. Naira's movements looked perfect, so why wasn't anything happening?

All at once, Naira stopped moving. She sank to her knees before collapsing on the ground. "Not again." She thought as the world around her faded to darkness. For the briefest moment, she thought someone was laughing.

* * *

"_Tonight, Naira. He will come. You must be ready." _

"What's coming? Who are you?"

"_It won't be the final battle, should you win. Only the beginning." _

* * *

Violet eyes snapped open staring up at the blue sky. Her mother and the others huddled around her once more. The expression on Sacha's face was more painful than Naira could bear. Quickly, she looked away.

"Does this happen often?" Asked Felicia.

"N-no." Naira's voice shook. What was wrong with her? She wasn't about to tell anyone about the voices she kept hearing, fearful of what it could mean.

Quinton helped his sister to her feet.

"I-I think I-I'm going to go home..." she muttered, slipping from Quinton's grasp.

No one objected as she walked away, shoulders slumped in defeat. She wasn't a bender, she couldn't join the survey crew because she was a girl, and now she had some fainting disease. There was no way she'd ever get to leave this village.

* * *

It was still late afternoon and too early to go to bed so instead, Naira climbed up to her favorite spot on the low roof of her home. Lying on her back, she watched some vulture-gulls drifting lazily in the sky. Was it wrong to be envious of them? Free to go wherever they wanted? Not bound by a home and not scared to face the world.

"Hey! You!" A young voice shouted.

Naira rolled onto her side and came face to face with Moirrey. The younger girl was trying to pull herself up onto the roof. She reached out an arm expectantly for Naira's assistance. Obliging, Naira sat up and pulled Moirrey up. Moirrey nodded her thanks and laid down on the warm sod next to Naira.

After a few moments of silence, Naira too laid back down and returned to gazing at the sky.

"My mother told me spirits shape the clouds to fit their moods." Moirrey spoke after a few minutes.

"Okay, then what are they feeling right now?"

"How am I supposed to know?" The younger girl laughed, "It's not like I can ask each one of them!"

Confused Naira blinked.

Moirrey sat up and covered her mouth with a hand. "Oh, right... sorry, I forgot not everyone can see them."

Naira remained silent.

A slight red hue crept onto Moirrey's face. "I just thought... well, I thought you were more like me. Able to see spirits and all. I'm a spiritual healer... well, in training..." She began to fidget with the collar of her tunic.

"You're telling me there are spirits up there right now. Visible ones?"

"Yep. A lot of fish-like ones. They're really fun to watch." She giggled at something unseen.

Under normal circumstances, Naira would have labeled the girl as a lunatic. After today's events, who was she to judge though?

"They show up in huge groups around the solstice. That's tonight! Tomorrow there will be so many! There always are!" She continued to babble on about all the different spirits she'd seen. "These guys look like they're all heading north. I wonder why that is..."

Naira wasn't listening at this point. Her mind was caught on the solstice. It corresponded with the voice's warning. Something was about to happen tonight. "Why did you think I could see them?" She asked, curious and holding herself back from admitting she didn't believe in such things.

Moirrey brought her gaze level with Naira's. "Your spirit left your body earlier, when you were trying to bend."

"What?"

"Moooiiirrrreeeyyyyy!" Felicia's voice rang through the village.

The younger girl squeaked. "I've gotta go before Felicia finds me!"

"Do you need help getting-" Before Naira could finish her question, the young girl was already gone. She was alone again with her thoughts.

* * *

Well past dark, Naira crept back into her home. Her parents were fast asleep. Neither had bothered her after Quim had seen her lazing on the roof. They clung to the hope it was just those awkward teenage years, though both knew deep down it was something more.

Tiptoeing past their sleeping forms, Naira slunk to her corner where her mat was awaiting her. Lying down, she closed her eyes and fell into darkness.

* * *

It wasn't the sleeping kind of darkness, however. Naira knew she wasn't sleeping; her sense felt alert. The darkness had an odd, yet familiar smell to it. A soft breeze blew past her skin and with it, the distant sound of malicious laughter.

"Who's there?" She called out, unable to see anything. When nothing answered, she began to hope it was all a dream. "I have to wake up." She muttered.

A rush of something not quite solid knocked her off her feet and all hope of waking up out of her mind. Naira hit the ground hard.

The laughter was much closer now.

Shakely, Naira sat up.

"I've found you Raava." Boomed a deep voice with glee. "Sixteen years you tried to hide, but all in vain."

Fear crept into Naira's heart. Why was the voice addressing her with a name she'd never heard? "I-I'm N-naira..."

"Oh ho! You don't even know. This gets even better!" Another blast knocked Naira to the ground again. This time she hit something solid. Her hands felt around; she had landed against a boulder.

"Who are you?" she yelled in terror. "What do you want?"

The laughter came again, this time from behind her.

"I am chaos. Destroyer of all. Embodiment of darkness. Your kind calls me Vaatu." Something slithered closer to Naira. "I want to erase you from existence, once and for all."

"_Naira!" _another voice shouted. She couldn't make out if it was male or female. This voice came from within her mind. "_Fight back!"_

"How?" she yelled as she braced herself for an attack. "I can't see anything!"

"_Dodge left!" The voice commanded._

Naira obeyed.

"_From above!" _

The girl rolled on the ground.

"_Now strike to the right!"_

Naira faltered. How? Blindly, she swung out an arm. It made contact with a form of matter she could not describe.

"Is that all you've got?" Vaatu taunted.

Frozen in fear, Naira was certain this was the end for her. She would die in this dark place, unable to see what was attacking her.

"_Calm down, Naira." _The voice speaking her mind shifted to a man's. _"You can fight back, you know how. Let us help you." _

"_Are you ready, young one?" _An ageless female voice resonated with the man's words.

Drawing in a deep breath, Naira felt something unlock in her mind. A new sensation ran through her veins. Without knowing when she started, the young girl found herself moving in a circular pattern.

"_He's behind you!" _ The voice returned to a genderless tone.

Whirling around, Naira felt the rush of wind on her skin as a surge of air blasted forward with the movement of her arms.

The laughter ceased and the looming presence disappeared. Naira could hear something slithering away.

"_Don't let it escape!" _

With a bounding leap, Naira launched herself in the direction of the noise. Letting loose a blast of air, she heard something shred.

"Very well, you may have defeated this fragment of me, but do not fear, Raava. I will be back. And next time you won't have any warning." The heavy sensation lifted and Naira slipped out of the darkness.

* * *

_Thanks for reading and a special shout out to my four followers. You rock. Anyways, let me know if you see errors with my spelling, grammar, style, etc. I know I'm not the best writer in the world and truth be told, I wrote the majority of this with a major headache while listening to techno music. Also, I'm still looking for animal suggestions! The avatar needs a pet afterall and I'm miserable at putting critters together. (Maybe it's because I'm a biologist?) See you next time! ~Airumel_


	4. Aftermath

_Hello again, everyone! Ready for the fourth chapter? There's a lot of dialogue in this one. So, I was wondering, how hard do you guys think it would be to be the second avatar? I doubt no one really knew about the cycle back then. Even the third must have had a hard time. I bet that the world didn't accept there was a cycle until into the second round of elements. I love discussing this kind of stuff, so leave me a comment or PM me! I want to know everyone's takes on this post-Wan, pre-Aang world I'm working with._

_~Airumel 11/16/13_

* * *

**CH 4: Aftermath**

For the third time in in twenty-four hours, Naira awoke with a huddle of concerned faces gazing down on her. Except this time, it was from a distance. Several layers of debris separated her from the shadowy figures above. She blinked her eyes open and shut a few times trying to make sense of everything. Voices were calling in the distance.

"Naira! Are you okay?" Her father's voice called to her.

"What happened?" Naira called back.

"We're not sure! The house collapsed! Hang on, we're trying to dig you out!"

Well, that certainly explained the rubble above her. She tried to sit up, but found she didn't have enough room. A brief moment of panic overtook her as she assessed her own condition. Nothing was missing, but she felt rather battered. Slowly, the memories of the dream that wasn't slunk into her mind.

"Try to stay calm, sweetie." Her mother's voice called down to her with a worried tone.

"I'm fine!" Naira's thoughts were processing everything that had happened up to this moment. She had used airbending; she was sure of it. But, then again, hadn't she tried to earlier that day? Doubt crept into her mind. No, she hadn't had the chance! The realization hit her; she had passed out during the airbending portion of her trials earlier. Could she be? Naira was almost too scared to dare think the possibility. Her mind ran back and forth between excitement and denial.

There was only one way to find out; she'd have to try again.

Yet, this wasn't exactly the moment for that. Naira took a deep breath and watched her father and several villagers carefully remove the debris from on top of her.

After agonizing minutes that felt more like hours, Naira was finally free of her collapsed home. Strong arms lifted her to her feet on either side.

"This isn't like you sis, falling asleep in the middle of a commotion."

"Yeah, you're always the first one to wake up from any sound. How did you manage to sleep through this?" Iago and Iain stood holding her arms. Nearby, their newly-wed wives huddled with their mother-in-law, assuring her everything would be okay.

"I... uh... was having a really bad dream..." The rubble shifted under her feet as she shuffled from their grasp. Why couldn't she tell them? She trusted all of her brothers with plenty of other silly stuff, so why not this?

As she reached the edge of the house's remains, another strong pair of arms embraced her. "You shouldn't make a habit out of this. I swear, you're going to make me go grey before I have any kids!"

"Sorry, Quinton..." Naira mumbled, rather embarrassed.

Another hand ruffled her dirt-filled hair. "I'm glad to see you aren't hurt. That windstorm sure came out of nowhere!" Their father smiled in relief. "We're lucky to live in a village with such helpful neighbors."

The shock was fading from Naira's mind and she realized just how many other people were around. The whole town had been awoken. Many were half dressed and some had dirt on their nightclothes from helping dig her out.

"Quim, may I have a word with you. Naira as well."

Quim looked up in surprise as Yannick made his request. He nodded in agreement.

Turning on his heel, Yannick strode quickly toward the town hall.

* * *

From the outside, the large hall's arched roof appeared to reach for the skies above. Tonight, the night sky almost looked like it was trying to swallow the building. A shiver ran down Naira's back as she followed her father and Yannick inside.

Seated at the long table inside were the older members of Yannick's survey team and a few other faces Naira recognized. A few lanterns cast an ominous light on the table. In its flickering light, the slightly groggy girl realized that the elderly Rade and Feige were present as well.

Fiege's golden eyes met Naira's. In the dim light it was hard to make out the expression on the old woman's wrinkled face. Shadows danced in each line, changing a smile to a frown and back again. "So, it seems we weren't completely wrong about you after all, dearie."

Nervously, Naira approached the table. "W-what do you mean?"

"Have a seat, Naira. We have some important matters to discuss." Rade patted the empty spot on the bench next to him. Numbly, she abided.

Yannick took his seat at the head of the table while Quim sat to his left near his fellow survey team members. It was clear from his expression he wanted to sit by his daughter.

"It would seem our little Naira inherited some bending flare after all." Rade nudged Naira's arm, trying to lighten the mood.

Naira blinked before responding, thinking of the dream she'd had. "I don't understand."

"You're an airbender."

"A what?" She had just been contemplating the thought, but to hear it from someone else made the whole situation sound ridiculous.

"What do you think happened to your home?" Yannick interjected.

Naira met his eyes fearfully. "I did that?" Her voice dropped to a whisper. She certainly didn't remember doing such a thing. "Why would I?" She asked under her breath, but it was lost under the outburst that came from Yannick's left.

"We don't know that!" Quim slammed a fist on the table. Naira stared wide-eyed at her father; she had never seen him lose his cool before. Even when she and her brothers had cut holes in the rugs so they could have capes for the many adventures they played at. Quim had simply taken a deep breath and laughed it off. When the children had finished romping around with their capes, he had personally sewn them back together.

This was not the same man who sat down the table from Naira anymore. Fear, worry, concern, and anger all were on his face. For a moment, she was afraid of him.

"Quim, settle down please. No one here is upset with your daughter. It was clearly an accident." Yannick assured the upset man. "Naira, do you remember anything?"

"No... I was sleeping." She stared at the table. Fiege's eyes were scrutinizing her from the other side of the table, as if she could read the girl's mind. Naira slumped in her posture, wishing she could disappear.

The old woman had caught on, yet she remained silent and continued to stare at Naira until she volunteered the information herself. "I... I had a nightmare... I don't remember much... but something attacked me..."

"And...?" Even at the very end of the table, Yannick had heard the incompleteness of her story.

The room had become deathly silent as the small council awaited the young girl's next words. Her voice now hardly audible, Naira spoke "I... think I was airbending..."

Only the crackling of the flame inside the lantern dared make a sound. The adults and elders exchanged glances while Naira buried her head in her arms on the table. Soon one voice and then another began to discuss the odd circumstances of the girl's power.

"She's putting the town in danger if she does that again in her sleep!" Argued one voice.

"We're still jumping to conclusions here!" Shouted Quim, anger flooded his voice again. How dare these men think his daughter was dangerous?

"How else did your house get blown to pieces from the inside?!" Retorted another.

"Just because she's a bender doesn't mean she's a danger." Fiege joined the argument, "Aren't half of you waterbenders?"

Quim couldn't believe this, how was everyone so convinced his daughter was a bender anyways? Neither he nor his wife were, nor had any of their own parents shown any elemental talent. Something like this skipping two generations was unheard of!

"Quim, I think even Naira knows she's an airbender." Seeing the distress on his old friend's face, Rade spoke up for the first time since the meeting had begun. Naira nearly jumped out of her skin when Rade patted her on the back reassuringly. "And there's nothing wrong with that."

Naira was swimming in her own disbelief. Earlier that day she would have been thrilled to learn of this hidden capability, but now she wished she was just regular Naira; condemned to a boring existence with no crazy dreams and houses collapsing.

"There's only one solution." Yannick began, "As with all benders, Naira needs a teacher. An airbending teacher."

Murmurs of agreement went up from around the table as many a member shook their head. Naira peeked out from her arms. She wasn't in trouble?

"However, there's a problem with that. We only have waterbenders here. Naira will need to leave the village in order to find a teacher."

Naira's heart just about stopped. Leave the village? Hadn't that been what she'd always wanted? Then why was her heart so full of dread? Yannick's words almost felt like a death sentence.

"We'll take her." The elderly woman across the table volunteered. "My daughter and I had intended to travel further North, but we're low on supplies and it seems there aren't very many people past this point."

"I appreciate the offer Fiege, but my daughter isn't a bender. You can't just kick her out of town on these ridiculous charges!"

"Quim, calm down. We are not exiling your daughter. She will always be welcome back here, but for now she needs a teacher; she's a danger to herself as well as everyone around her if she ends up bending in her sleep again." It was clear Yannick was trying very hard not to yell back at Quim. No one had ever seen the usually cheerful man this upset before.

"It only happened once!"

As the argument continued, Naira let all the information sink in. She wouldn't be alone on this trip. She would be traveling with Feige, Felicia, and Moirrey. Though she hadn't known the group long, she trusted them well enough. After all, they had saved her life today. Picking her head off the table, she glanced at Feige. The old woman looked frustrated, but when she saw the girl lift her head, her expression relaxed. A friendly smile eased onto her wrinkled face.

It was all Naira needed to make her decision. "I'll go!" She shouted.

No one other than Rade and Feige appeared to have heard her.

"I'll go!" She shouted again. This time the room went silent. "I... I need... a teacher... I don't want to... but... I need to... so I'll go, with Feige." Her hands fidgeted in her lap with the hem of her tunic. She couldn't meet her father's eyes. "E-even if I don't cause the house to fall down again... I want to learn."

Quim sat back in defeat. The rage on his face sank down to the depths where it had been hiding, suddenly he looked years older. "Okay, Naira. If you're sure that's what you want."

"I am." The words came out quickly and Naira almost wondered if she was being too hasty with her decision.

"Very well, Feige, thank you for your offer. If you need any supplies, we will be happy to provide them to you if we are able." Yannick nodded in Naira's direction in gratitude for speaking up. "I will arrange for a boat team to take you across the water tomorrow morning. I suggest you start packing, Naira."

* * *

Everything had happened so quickly; following her decision, Naira and her parents had spent the remainder of the night at Quinton's home. While the rest of her family had quickly fallen asleep, Naira remained awake. Whether from fear or excitement, she did not know. As the darkness began to fade, anxiety began to take over.

Her brother had been the first to wake that morning, only to find Naira pacing outside the front door. Silently, he gestured down the street and started walking. Naira followed her brother to the remains of their parents' home. Neither spoke a word as they stared at the damage.

"I did this..." Thought Naira in awe and horror.

Quinton bent down and began to sift through the rubble. His sister soon followed suite. While their parents had very few possessions to begin with, what they did own meant quite a bit to them. Naira pulled out a few mostly-intact pottery pieces while Quinton managed to extract some of the blankets her parents slept with.

By the time the sun was well above the horizon, most of the town had turned out to help. All in all, both Quinton and Naira were surprised by the number of belongings they were able to salvage. Gone were the larger items and a good amount of the pottery, but most of the rugs, blankets, and spare clothing had survived. Ironically, so had their mother's box of hairpins.

Quim came to retrieve the two soon after. When Naira placed the box of hairpins in his hands, he saw the amount of guilt his daughter was feeling. The dark circles under her eyes told him she had not slept since. Everything suddenly was clear to him. Naira didn't just believe what the council had suggested; she had known all along it was her doing. "Naira," he started and paused, unsure what he could say to comfort his daughter. He couldn't fathom how she was feeling. "I... I'm sorry, about last night. If you are a bender, I don't love you any less." He embraced her on the spot. "I'm just thankful we're all okay. I'm also proud of you for making your own choice last night. Even when I was being so pig-headed."

Naira returned the hug. "I'm sorry too. I'm really sorry I destroyed our home..." A single tear rolled down her cheek before she hastily brushed it away.

Her father chuckled, returning to the man she knew. "Don't worry about it. You kids always wound up destroying every part you could. I know you didn't mean it. I still can't believe you're responsible for this. You couldn't hurt a spider-fly!"

Despite the overbearing feeling of guilt, Naira allowed herself to chuckle and hugged her father tighter.

The moment was over too soon as Quim released her from his embrace. "We should get moving. You have a boat to catch." His tone suddenly became stern.

* * *

Her mother would not stop crying. Naira herself was having a hard time choking back the tears. She had to be strong. If she started crying too, there was no way she'd ever leave.

All of her possessions had fit comfortably into a small satchel Quinton had given her that morning just as she had left his house. It was his survey crew bag, made of possum-rabbit fur, dyed blue like the lake and held shut with a carved stone shaped to resemble a coyote-owl. The bag itself was worth more than any of her belongings; a few sets of clothes, an old blanket, and a set of hairpins her mother had insisted she take just in case.

With the bag slung over her shoulder, Naira currently found herself stuck in her mother's embrace. She knew they needed to get one their way; everything was loaded into the boat and ready to go. Everything but her.

"Naira! You coming?" Moirrey called. The younger girl had been very excited to learn that Naira would be joining them on their trip.

"Mother... I need to go..." Naira muttered into her mother's shoulder.

"I know, Naira..." her mother tried to choke back a sob. "I know you do. Just come back safe, okay?"  
Though she had been expecting them, the words still shook Naira. Tears began to well up in her own eyes as her mother released her embrace. Quickly she turned her back and ran for the boat, fearing her knees would give out. Felicia offered a strong arm up, into the large row boat and the waterbenders shoved off.

"NAIRA! TAKE CARE!" Yelled her three brothers in a rare moment of complete unity.

"DON'T DESTROY ANYMORE HOUSES!" Shouted her father in jest.

Naira looked over the her shoulder and waved back. Completely at a loss of words she continued to wave until she could no longer see their forms on the distant shore or hear their calling voices.

"How are you doing, dearie?" Feige asked after the North shore had long since faded from view.

"I'm okay... I never thought... I would leave like this..." Naira never took her eyes from behind her as she answered.

"Every turtle-duck has to leave their nest-pond some day. That's what my mother told me, a long time ago."

"What it like?"

"What?"

"Where we're going? Is it a small village like mine?"

Moirrey burst out laughing at Naira's question.

"Moirrey!" Admonished Felicia. "Naira hasn't traveled as much as you."

Naira slumped over the back of the boat, embarrassed by her lack of knowledge.

"Oh, Naira, just ignore her. Moirrey's from a large city, as are my mother and I. But, we don't really know where we're going at the moment. While waterbenders can be reliably found around large bodies of water like this, we can't really say the same of other benders. And with the wars raging on, we can't be sure who is where for too long."

"Wars?" Naira turned her attention away from her home's direction.

"I'm guessing news doesn't make it to your village very often."

"No, you were the first outsiders in a few years."

"Well the wars aren't exactly new news. There are people fighting over just about anything..." Her voice trailed off.

Naira nodded. Her parents had left their hometowns because of wars. That much they had told their children, but never divulged any details, no matter how much the children pried. Even Rade wouldn't comment on his reasons for leaving his homeland. Eventually Naira and her brothers had learned it was a taboo topic and stopped asking.

When travelers had come to the town, they often would be traders or adventurers who had just as little contact with the turmoil further South. Since their village was so far disconnected, the rest of the world almost sounded fictional some days.

"We haven't been around these areas for some time, but there is a good chance we will have to enter some dangerous territory. It's best in those cases you don't reveal that you're an airbender." Felicia continued.

Naira was confused, she'd sensed some animosity from the waterbenders in the council, but she had chalked it up to her imagination.

"It's a big mess. Benders of one element don't always get along with benders of other elements. And non-benders are occasionally suspicious of any bender. Or even those with spiritual abilities." She looked at Moirrey; the younger girl was watching something unseen move across the sky. With a sigh, she nudged her ward. "What did I tell you about spirit gazing?"

"But there are so many out here! I've never seen this many!" Moirrey protested.

Feige chuckled, "Let her be, Felicia. It's the summer solstice and this lake must be a very spiritual place. I'm sure she won't be causing us any problems elsewhere."

"If they stop following us."

Both of the older women raised their eyebrows.

"Doesn't anyone try to stop these wars?" asked Naira suddenly, wanting to change the topic. She'd had enough of spirits for one day.

Feige answered this time. "There was one man-"

"We've arrived." Announced one of the waterbenders as the boat coasted to a stop. He hopped down into the shallow water while his partner did on the opposite side and together they pulled the boat ashore.

After seeing that the women had their belongings, the men took off, speeding Northward with a large spray of water following them.

Naira would have stood and watched for longer, but Feige urged her on. "Come child, we must make haste. The day is still young, but we have much ground to cover."

Taking one last glance over her shoulder, Naira followed the others into the forest on the Southern shore. With every step she took, she felt home falling further and further behind.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Just a note, there may be a slight hiatus through the end of the month due to holidays and traveling. Time to find my sky bison and get on home. Yip yip. I promise to keep thinking about this though. ;) I'm still working on animal suggestions. I have one for another sky bison, but since this is 10,000 years before... I kinda am leaning towards sky mammoth. (10,000 year old bison just had ridiculously large horns and were much larger)  
_

_For anyone who was curious about the cover picture, I drew it. The original is on my DA account "Airumel". It's not the greatest, but I wanted something for a cover. _


	5. Flight in the Dark

_Hello everyone and happy holidays! I wanted to leave you all with a chapter before I went home for break again. Ready for some more action? Here we go! -Airumel 12/17/13_

* * *

**Flight in the Dark**

Night was descending upon the four travelers as they traveled south. With no trail to follow, they pushed their way through the tall grass prairie occasionally happening upon small groves of trees. Filled with the emerging songs of evening insects and birds, the summer air was still warm and humid.

Felicia led the way, followed closely by her mother; surprisingly spry for her years. Naira followed a few feet behind. Moirrey was the furthest back. She walked slowly, eyes more focused on the sky above than the objects in front of her. Occasionally, the youngest member would trip over a rock hidden in the grass. Other moments, she would wander straight into a marshy spot. Yet she never said a word or lost her focus. This behavior greatly concerned Feige; Felicia knew her mother's body language well. Something was amiss.

Only on one other occasion had Moirrey spent all day watching the sky with such intensity. This very same behavior had been the reason the traveling women had come across their young apprentice. A painful moment suddenly bubbled up in Felicia's mind as she cringed. An entire village had been destroyed that night. Silently, she hoped there would not be a repeat.

"Shouldn't we be stopping soon?" Naira asked. Firefly-mice had begun to zip around illuminating the darkening sea of grass with flares of light as they zipped back and forth. It was becoming rather difficult to see even a few feet in front of her. She had been doing her best to ignore the soreness in her feet. Never before in her life had Naira walked this far. It seemed impossible they would continue this way for several more days.

Feige looked at Naira with a kindly smile, "Not just yet, dearie. This isn't the best place to stop for the night anyways. I do suppose it's a bit dark. Why don't we pull out the lantern?" Felicia stopped and procured the lantern for her mother. With a flick of her wrist, Feige had the small candle inside burning.

Moirrey, still lost in the sky, walked into Naira's back with a small "Oof."

Naira looked at her companion to make sure she was okay, but the girl quickly returned her gaze to the sky. Silently, Naira wondered if Moirrey's neck was sore from looking up all day. She still had a hard time believing the girl was seeing spirits.

Resuming their journey, Felicia led on at a slower pace to account for the lessened visibility.

On and on they went, beyond the limits where Naira thought she would pass out from exhaustion. She hadn't exactly slept much the night before.

Moirrey suddenly rushed up front and said something in a quiet voice to the eldest woman. Feige glanced over her shoulder and nodded at the young girl. Wordlessly they picked up their pace.

Naira began to fall further behind; she had never been so tired in her life. As determined as she was to find an airbending teacher, she just didn't have the energy to keep going. Would anyone notice if she fell asleep suddenly?

"Keep up, Naira!" Urged Felicia from the front.

"Yes, ma'am." She jogged to catch up.

"We'll stop there for a bit." Felicia indicated a shadowy grove of trees barely visible in the distance.

Onwards, the weary group traveled. At long last the women reached the grove of trees. Instantly Naira slumped to the ground, beyond exhausted. Silently, she hoped every day wouldn't be like this. Her feet ached from the countless blisters she had acquired. Even her shoes looked tired.

"I'll take first watch, "announced Felicia, setting down her bags. "Mother, I trust you want second."

Feige nodded her consent while she arranged some branches in a pile.

"Naira, will you take third?"

The girl moaned inwardly, but agreed with a wordless nod. "What would attack us?" Naira asked nervously.

"Hopefully, nothing, Dearie. However, we need to make sure we aren't caught off guard by anything." Feige answered, patting Naira on the shoulder.

"Like bandits?"

"I doubt we'll see anyone much this far North, but there is always the possibility as we get closer to the kingdoms. Animals shouldn't be a problem either."

Naira wasn't sure she felt too reassured. Judging by the looks she had been seeing on their faces this afternoon, Naira knew there was something they were not telling her. Even young Moirrey had a stern expression on her face. Too tired to care much more, Naira removed her satchel from her shoulder and pulled out the blanket her family had given to her. The ground was cool and hard, but Naira could hardly care at this point.

"That leave you with the final watch, Moirrey. Try to get some sleep tonight." The youngest member was still gazing at the sky. However, she nodded and gave a large yawn.

If anything more was said, Naira did not hear it; she was sound asleep.

* * *

The sky was still pitch black when Fiege woke Naira for her watch. Groggily, Naira sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Standing up, she slung her satchel onto her shoulder and wrapped the blanket around herself. The scent of home was still fresh on her belongings. Breathing in deeply, she felt comforted by the familiar smells.

She gazed out across the grassy expanse they had crossed earlier, watching the firefly-mice scampering across the tops of blades of grass. Behind her, the fire burned low, crackling faintly. It was a beautiful sight. Despite being tired and footsore, Naira felt the same feeling of excitement begin to refuel her spirit.

For a brief moment, Naira shut her eyes. She wondered if her parents and brothers were all sleeping soundly tonight. How long would it take them to rebuild the house? Would she ever see them again? The thoughts flooded her mind. Desperately, she tried to push them away as well as the feeling of sleep threatening to overtake her once more.

A cool night breeze blew causing Naira to shudder. Opening her eyes, she shook off the grog once again.

Around her, all was silent; the fire had burned down to embers now. It was then she realized it was too quiet. An unsettling feeling took over her body as she realized that aside from the light snoring from Felicia, no other living soul was making a sound. Gone were the chirping insects. The glowing firefly-mice were nowhere to be seen either.

A rising sense of panic grew in Naira's mind. Should she wake the others? Or was she just being a scaredy-deer lion?

The cry of an animal in pain pierced her ears sending her pulse racing. It had been nearby. Frozen to the spot, she waited.

A rustling sound rushed toward her from the grass in front of her.

Naira held her breath as the noise grew nearer.

Suddenly, a small creature burst from the grass and crashed into the girl's legs. She dropped her blanket in surprise. Naira stared down at the creature. In the dark, it was hard to make out, but she was sure she saw a pair of feathered wings and a ringed bushy tail. "A kitecoon?" she wondered aloud. Reaching down, she scooped the animal up. It struggled weakly to escape her arms before going limp. Something warm and wet trickled down Naira's arm. "Blood?"

"NAIRA GET DOWN!"

Moirrey's warning came too late as Naira and the injured animal were sent sprawling backward by a brutal blast. She landed roughly on her back on the warm coals of fire pit. The kitecoon remained unconscious in her arms. As she struggled to her feet, Feige and Felicia charged forward. Felicia held a large knife, dulled from years of use, while Feige charged forth armed with a large branch. At what they were attacking, Naira didn't know.

"Moirrey, Naira, get out of here!" Shouted Feige taking a swing with her blade.

Now sitting up, Naira stared at her companions in confusion; it looked as if the two older women were attacking the air. "What's going on?" She asked no one in particular.

"C'mon! We've got to go!" Moirrey grabbed Naira's arm.

"_It's him. Vaatu." _Spoke the voice in her mind. _"He acts through another spirit this time. Naira, you must free it." _

"A spirit?" Hearing the voice again was bad enough. Now it was talking about spirits? Naira felt like the world as she knew it was being torn away.

Moirrey was struggling to pull Naira to her feet, but was not having much success being little more than half of the older girl's size. "Well, duh! What else would that enormous purple glowing thing be?" She rolled her eyes and continued to tug uselessly at Naira's arm. "I knew it wasn't anything friendly the way it was watching us all day."

"_It's after you."_

The words echoed in Naira's mind. She was scared. Scared because everyone was in danger. Scared because she couldn't see whatever was there. But most of all she was scared that it was true; the monster had tracked her down. How would she be able to fight back that which she couldn't see? And why was she the only one who couldn't see it?

Moirrey gasped as Feige was sent flying backwards. The elderly woman slammed into a tree and crumpled at its trunk.

"Mother!" Yelled Felicia as she fended off the spirit naught but her dull knife. "Girls! RUN!" She yelled again.

"C'mon!" Moirrey's grip tore from Naira's tunic. However, Naira was still immobilized by fear. Her gaze went from Feige's crumpled form to Felicia's deadly dance with an invisible opponent. The knife glinted dully in the dim light of the moon as it arced towards the unseen. Suddenly, Felicia was thrust to the ground.

In Naira's arms, the kitecoon stirred. Blinking open its large orange eyes it stared miserably up at the girl. Gathering what little courage she had, Naira got to her feet and thrust the injured animal into Moirrey's arms. "Where is it?" She asked.

Moirrey didn't answer at first, instead she stared, mouth agape in the direction where Felicia had been fighting. "IT'S COMING AT US!" She screamed as she fled.

Naira gritted her teeth and braced for impact. It felt like she had run into a wall of something not entirely solid when the collision came. It was hard to believe that something invisible was capable of having a presence, but the past two days had certainly been full of these events. The unseen force pinned her to the ground.

"Go! Naira! Get out of here!" Feige had struggled to her feet. Even in the dim light, she was visibly shaking. "Get back here you spirit! Come have a taste of my fire!" A small light flickered in the elderly woman's palm.

The pressure didn't release from Naira even when Feige's small fire burst made contact with the spirit keeping her down. For a brief moment the flames illuminated the outline of her opponent. Seeing her attack was ineffective, Feige charged in at the spirit, slamming her petite frame into what had looked to be a leg. It was just enough to cause the creature to shift its weight. Not knowing what she was doing, Naira found herself slipping from under the crushing weight as she rolled to the side. Regaining her feet, she took a ready stance. It seemed her body remembered the prior night's events more clearly than she did.

Power was building in the air around her. Naira closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Time seemed to slow down as she moved. Feige shouted something to her, but it went unheard as a gale-force wind flew from her arms with a graceful turn. Her satchel bumped against her hip as she moved.

"_Purify it." _The voice commanded.

At the same moment, a sturdy grip grabbed Naira's arm and began to pull her in the direction Moirrey had fled. Naira allowed Felicia to lead her numbly, her concentration broken. Feige stumbled behind, scooping up Felicia's dropped bag as she went.

The voice issued a final warning before falling silent. _"It will follow."_

Naira hoped it was wrong.

* * *

Contrary to the voice's warning, no further pursuit had come that night. By the time dawn broke, all four women were lying passed out in the endless sea of grass.

"H-how much further?" Panted Moirrey. She had waited for the rest of the group not too far from where the battle had taken place. When she saw her three companions running at her, she resumed. Somewhere along the way, Naira had taken the wounded kitecoon and placed it among her few possessions in her satchel. It hadn't made any move to escape, nor had it moved. Naira half-feared it was dead.

Opening her bag she saw the bright orange eyes peer at her curiously. The front half was all avian; white and grey feathers with a hooked beak. Everything past the large set of wings was mammalian, ending in a bushy ringed tail. It let out a soft 'swaak' before closing its eyes once more with a content look on its face.

"Another day or two..." Moaned Felicia with a hand to her head.

Feige remained silent. The damage she had taken was catching up now that the adrenaline was wearing off.

"We can't take another night like that..."

"I have never seen a spirit so intent on a small group of people, not for at least fifteen years." Feige agreed with her daughter.

Guilt crept over Naira. Hadn't the voice said something about it chasing her? She wasn't sure she wanted to admit her inability to see the spirit or the voice's warnings.

"Hopefully, with the solstice past, we won't have to worry."

What was with adults being afraid of saying what they actually thought? Naira wondered. She hadn't known these women long, but already she was beginning to understand there was much they were not telling her. Why?

"I think it would be safer if we slept here and now. We're in no shape to go further."

And if that monster comes back, we'll be in trouble, Naira added mentally.

Soon the morning air was filled with the light breathing of the sleeping companions.

* * *

Despite not having slept in almost two days, Naira found herself awake before the others. The sun was just beginning to descend over the tops of some distant trees. Evening was not far off. Her stomach rumbled loudly; the last time she could remember eating had been at the start of the day before. Maybe there was something in her satchel? She pulled the bag close and reached inside.

"Ow!" She yelped in pain. Something had nipped her fingers. The kitecoon stuck its head out.

Naira cradled her throbbing fingers and glared at the creature.

Cautiously, it emerged from the bag, grey and white wings folded on its back. It walked over to Naira and sat down in front of her. The orange gaze stared at her expectantly.

"What?" The girl asked the kitecoon.

"Is that what you picked up?" The commotion had woken up Felicia. She stared at the half-bird with interest. "How unusual, kitecoons are usually found further West of here. Perhaps a storm blew it off course. Still, I can't understand why it wants to stay around us."

"It was injured last night. I remember seeing blood when I picked it up." Naira tried to look for any signs of injury, but the kitecoon looked fine to her. She supposed it had been a small cut, then again, it would be hard to find a cut under the thick layers of feather and fur.

Naira's stomach rumbled again. Carefully reaching around the kitecoon, she grabbed her satchel and began to paw through it, hoping there was something in it to eat. She procured a small chunk of bread, but nothing more. Tearing off a corner, she placed the rest back in her satchel. The kitecoon looked from Naira to the piece of bread and back again. "Okay, fine, you can have some too." She offered a small portion of her snack and offered it to the half-bird. Happily, it took the food and retreated to the satchel.

"Guess it's sticking around." Laughed Felicia. She too grabbed a small snack from her own bags as Moirrey and Feige began to stir. After everyone had gotten something to eat, they were off again. It was clear to Naira how sore her companions were from the night before. Feige had a slight limp to her step and Felicia had slung an arm on the top of her bag rather protectively. Even young Moirrey seemed slower than usual, despite watching the ground instead of the sky.

Through the night, the group traveled in silence. The lantern had been lost in the scuffle so they navigated by the dim light cast by the faintest sliver of moon in the starry sky above. A few times they stopped to rest and eat. Being experienced travelers, Feige and Felicia had packed more than enough food to share. Still, the group ate sparsely.

Trees had become more common features of the landscape. Stands of oaks with the occasional pine increased in size and span. The group was walking through one such area when the kitecoon poked its head out of Naira's satchel. It stared at the air behind the travelers and issued a low hiss.

Everyone understood the half-bird's warning and urged their tired and aching limbs onward. For a quarter of an hour, the group stumbled through the darkness as fast as they could maintain, but their already low stamina was wearing thin. Feige tripped on a root and fell to the ground hard. Her daughter rushed back and gave her a shoulder for support. "Moirrey, take my bag." Felicia took the large woven bag from her other shoulder and handed it to the younger girl. "Don't wait for us, just go."

Moirrey stared in astonishment for a brief second and nodded.

"Naira, follow her."

The girl opened her mouth to protest. Part of her was feeling guilty over leaving behind two of her companions. Another felt relieved to be able to run for her own life. Stuck at a mental impasse, Naira hesitated.

"No buts. We'll catch up."

Swallowing her guilt, Naira took off after Moirrey.

"_The spirit hunts you alone, Naira." _Words echoed inside Naira's mind in the double voice she had heard during her nightmare. A strange presence of someone familiar surrounded her. Despite her pounding heart, she felt a sense of calmness. _Strange_, she thought, _why do I feel as if I know that voice? _

She didn't have long to ponder the thought. The sound of something large came crashing behind her. With a yelp she picked up her speed, doing her best to dodge tree roots and rocks as she rushed through the sparse understory.

Moirrey was breathing hard when Naira caught up to her. "It's behind us!" The older girl shouted. Naira could see she was at her limits as well. "Can you see it?"

The girl nodded after glancing behind. Terror filled her eyes. "What do we do?"

"I don't know! Fight?"

"You're the bender! Not me!" She squeaked.

The girl had a point.

"_Relax, Naira, you can do this. It has weakened now that the solstice has passed." _The male persona was more dominant this time.

"Okay." Naira verbally agreed with the voice. Her lungs were heaving with every bound. "Okay," she gasped, "Moirrey, keep going. I'll try to fight it." She stopped in her tracks abruptly. Every muscle in her legs felt as if they were on fire. Her lungs gasped for air, trying to make up for all they had lost. Either way, Naira knew her situation was bleak. Her legs could not take any more running, but she hadn't forgotten that whatever was pursuing her was invisible. "Let's do this." She said, placing her satchel on the ground.

The kitecoon ducked back inside.

The crashing noises grew louder and Naira began to see low branches on some of the trees being brushed aside roughly. She collected her breath as it grew closer. When it was almost upon her, the voice urged "STRIKE!" Her body obeyed though she wasn't entirely sure she had moved of her own will. Air blasted from a well-aimed kick and her foot met something somewhat solid. The voice had been right, just from touching it, Naira could sense it was weaker; as if its presence had lessened significantly from the prior night.

A sudden blow struck her from the left. Without thinking, she let a burst of air stop her fall and changed her momentum into a rebound. _How am I doing all this? _She wondered.

"_From above!" _

Naira dodged to the side with a turn of her feet and slammed a torrent of wind downwards.

"_It's to your right!"_

"I can't see it!" Yelled Naira in frustration.

"_That is because you are not looking, young one."_ The female voice chided.

"_We'll be your eyes, just follow our words." _This time the male voice spoke. _"Dodge, it's coming again!" _The voices merged once more.

Naira followed the instructions.

"_Attack left!" _

Another blast of air whipped from Naira's arms as she slammed into the unseen foe. Together, human and spirit fell to the ground. For a moment, neither moved.

Regaining her sense of balance, the girl stood up and prepared a final attack.

"_Naira..."_ The voice was fading out of her mind. Something inside her was urging her to finish the spirit. To blast it with all the energy she had left. Looking down at the ground she saw nothing, but the adrenaline from battle surged within her strongly. Naira raised her fist.

"Squaaaak!" Cried the kitecoon, dashing from its safe spot in her satchel.

Naira blinked at the strange sight in front of her. The creature was flapping its wings aggressively in the direction of the downed spirit beast. Its white head was low to the ground while the ringed tail swished back and forth furiously.

Bird hybrid and spirit beast stood at a standstill for a moment. The fierce orange eyes of the kitecoon were focused intently on the ground before its taloned forefeet.

A light breeze blew and the kitecoon seemed to relax.

"_It is leaving." _Naira didn't need the voice to tell her this. She could sense a change in the atmosphere as if a heavy pressure had suddenly lifted. Lowering her arm and unclenching her fist, Naira too found herself calming down. A wave of exhaustion washed over her forcing the girl to her knees. Knowing it was useless to fight her weary body, Naira gave in and fell to the ground. Sleep set in once more.

The kitecoon scurried back to Naira's satchel. Picking up the handle in its hooked beak, the half-bird began to pull with its mammalian hindquarters. Only when its furry tail brushed the sleeping girl's face did the kitecoon stop. Scurrying back inside its safe haven, it too curled up and drifted off.

* * *

In the distant plane of the spirit world, Vaatu had sensed the defeat of his minion. He had underestimated the girl. Raava's powers were growing once again. Something had to be done soon. With the solstice past, another spirit creature was out of the question, at least until the next solstice. Waiting four months was not something the incarnation of chaos had the patience or desire for. Even if he would not be able to completely break out of his prison for another ten thousand years, he would still do all he could to oppose the spirit of light. After all, that was his sole purpose.

It was time to implement a new strategy.

* * *

_Dun dun dun... I love throwing in Vaatu's scheming. Oh! Anyone want to name the birdy? If you don't know what a kite looks like, I suggest looking it up. I'm basing ours off the white-tailed kite. If it was unclear, the rear half of the critter is a raccoon. :) Basically it has the same build as a mini-griffon! And it actually has a back story! I'm making it up as it goes, but there is a significance to it other than Naira clearly needed a pet to argue with._

_Until next time! Have a great holiday season! -Airumel  
_


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